Time Out
"Time Out" is the nineteenth chapter of Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. Synopsis Hoping to find some recognition, Miss Zarves leaves the nineteenth story. Plot This chapter opens stating that Miss Zarves teaches the nineteenth story, that there is no nineteenth story, and henceforth, no Miss Zarves. However, it then questions how there's a cow in her classroom. Miss Zarves is doing a geometry lesson in her class, where she perfectly draws shapes on the board. She makes it up to a heptagon, when a cow interrupts, causing her to drop her chalk. Miss Zarves snaps, remarking how much she hates having a cow in the class. Her students, Virginia, Ray, and Nick try to cheer her up, but she explains that the lesson won't continue until the cow draws a perfect octagon on the board. She proceeds to explain that her entire life, she's gone unnoticed, by her peers, teachers, and parents. Finally sick of being unseen her entire life, she decides to leave the room, and head to the principal's office. On the way down, Joy and Maurecia are having a conversation about whether Todd is more ugly or stupid. Miss Zarves tries telling them they need to be in class, but they continue to ignore her. Frustrated, she continues downstairs. She eventually reaches the door of the principal's office. She considers knocking, but decides to barge right in. She asks for Mr. Kidswatter's attention, but he is busy making a rubber-band ball. Miss Zarves asks if Mr. Kidswatter can hear her. He reaches inside a drawer for more rubber bands. Miss Zarves states she'll leave without ever coming back if Mr. Kidswatter doesn't talk to her. He presses the buzzer to ask Mrs. Day for more rubber bands. Miss Zarves decides she's done, and exits Wayside School. However, on her way out, she is stopped by the men with the attaché case. Miss Zarves is surprised to see someone notice her, and they claim they appreciate her hard work. Miss Zarves states that she's been teaching for thirty years, and had never had that kind of appreciation before. The men agree that being a teacher is hard, Miss Zarves remarks that the book she's reading even makes fun of teachers, but that she must continue, because the children need her. The man with the attaché case offers Miss Zarves a handkerchief, and she smiles as she walks back inside. Characters *Miss Zarves *Miss Zarves's cow (debut) *Virginia (final appearance) *Ray Gunn (final appearance) *Nick (final book appearance) *Miss Zarves's friends (mentioned, debut) *Miss Zarves's teacher (mentioned, debut) *Miss Zarves's parents (mentioned, debut) *Joy *Maurecia *Todd (mentioned) *Mr. Kidswatter *Mrs. Day (mentioned, as Miss Night, final appearance) *The men with the attaché case (final appearance) Trivia *This is the final appearance of Virginia, Ray Gunn, Mrs. Day, and the men with the attaché case. This is also the final appearance of Nick in the books, but he still appears in the cartoon. *Despite Virginia claiming she's been in Miss Zarves's class for thirty-two years in "A Wonderful Teacher," here, Miss Zarves claims she's been teaching for only thirty. **It's possible that one of them has lost track of time over the years, considering the nature of the nineteenth story. Gallery Time Out 1995.jpg|Joel Schick illustration Time Out 2003.jpg|Adam McCauley illustration Time Out Illustration.jpg|Peter Allen illustration Category:Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger chapters Category:Book chapters